6 Trends for Environment, Health and Safety Management in 2019

Safety and Health Management plays a critical role in any workplace. Without the effective use of this particular worksite requirement, your operations may always be prone to severe accidents that can cause disruptions or even affect the physical well-being of your workers.

As we look back at 2018, we could see many indications that digital technology (safety tech) was starting to make inroads into common practice. Environment Health and Safety Management (EHS) has become the common ground of different worksite managers to overcome different risks during operations. One of the ways EHS leaders stay on top of changes in their industry and leapfrog their competition is by monitoring industry trends.

In this article, we will discuss six trends that every construction or any worksite manager should consider to achieve an effective health and safety management in their business.

1. Behavior-Based Safety (BBS)

Inefficient workplace communications can severely affect the morale of the employees down, leading them to fall into the daily rote of avoiding their safety, health and environment responsibilities.

Good communication campaigns in behavior change have proven to counter this inaccuracy, by increasing the “relevance” quotient against knowledge. If the employee feels that a certain factor in EHS is relevant to them, they will try to adapt that in their day-to-day behavior.

However, knowledge alone cannot modify behavior, if they fail to see a “cause and effect” in action. Designing a new BBS program for your workforce aligned with EHS regulations, will help you determine their emotional and professional needs that sustains your workforce productivity.

2. Big Data to Make a Big Role in Risk Management

Big data is one of the most significant trends in the last few years. In spite of the buzz generated by it, not many organizations make use of it. In the coming year, you can expect more and more organizations using big data to make better and informed decisions.

Big data will go beyond making business decisions. You can wait to see it used in the right way for internal risk management programs and more. In 2019, organizations that make risk management a priority will be in a better position to survive and thrive in an increasingly uncertain world.

3. Digital Transformation of EHS

Analytics is seen as necessary after facto when digital EHS management systems are implemented. For 2019, analytics will take a parallel development mode and progress using legacy data and predictive analytics. However, the core pillars of digital transformation in the case of EHS will be its intuitive interface that will allow the workforce to use such systems easily.

That said, digital EHS will be proven valuable for their data handling and management capabilities, which are crucial for companies trying to develop a ‘data culture.’

4. Smart PPE Devices

With the increase in popularity of smart devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, fitness trackers and more, you can expect an increase in smart PPE devices in the workplace.

IoT is playing a major role in upgrading workplace safety. Today, there are a plethora of smart safety devices on the market like – sensors that monitor, record and analyze biometric data of employees. When embedded into traditional PPE, these devices can accurately track the location and movement data of employees in real-time.

However, on July 30, 2018, OSHA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which rescinded the agency’s previous requirement for establishments to submit Forms 300 and 301 electronically.

6. Cyber-Security

The increased quantity of available data means that companies will have to be vigilant about how their data is stored, managed, and used.

Luckily, with the available EHS technology inside the worksite, cyber-security is becoming a strong safety barrier between hackers and worksite data. This program also helps companies to identify and address early signs of data hacking threats, which ultimately leads to a more efficient data management of EHS initiatives in the workplace. Contact us today to know more about how you can integrate your EHS management in your worksite.